Siem Reap, is a province located in northwestern Cambodia, on the shores of the Tonle Sap  lake. The provincial capital is Siem Reap. The name literally means Siamese defeated referring to the victory of the Khmer Empire over the army of the Thai kingdom of Ayutthaya in the 17th Century. Today it is most widely known for being the closest city to the ruins of the temples of Angkor.

About 10 year ago Siem Reap was only a Cambodian's provincial town with few facilities, fewer surfaced roads and little in the way of nightlife. The tourism industry catered mainly to hardy back- packers willing to brave the tortuous road from the Thai border. The proximity of the Angkor ruins turned Siem Reap into a boomtown in less than half a decade. Huge, expensive hotels sprang up everywhere and the number of budget hotels mush- roomed. Property values soared to European levels and tourism became a major source of income for local people.

The Siem Reap of today is barely recognizable from the Siem Reap of the year 2000. Though some of the town's previous ramshackle charm may have been lost to development, this same development has brought wealth and livelihoods to many of Siem Reap's citizens. Unfortunately this has been at a cost to the poor living in and around the town's limits. Like most Cambodians, these people survive on poorly paid construction work or subsistence farming. Local wages have not kept pace with the inflated prices in Siem Reap's markets. If Cambodia is a country of contrasts Siem Reap is the embodiment of those contrasts. Despite the massive shift in its economic fortunes, Siem Reap remains a safe, friendly and pleasant town.

There is an endless choice of places to stay or dine, and a host of possible activities awaiting the visitor. Siem Reap is the major tourist hub in Cambodia, as it is the closest city to the temples of Angkor. The most recognizable of the temples, Angkor Wat, literally Capital Temple, built by King Suryavarman II the early 12th century provides the largest tourist draw. Recently the city has seen a great deal of expansion, hundreds of hotels, restaurants and shops, catering to both international and Cambodian tourists have opened to serve the influx of visitors. Also, King Norodom Sihamoni and the Cambodian royal family maintain a residence in the town. The Angkor temple complex is north of the city.

Other sites of interest near Siem Reap include Angkor Thom built by Jayavarman VII, Banteay Srei, Ta Prohm, as well as hundreds of other temple ruins. Angkor, and the surrounding area that would later become known as Siem Reap, faced repeated invasions from the Thais, and ceased to be the capital after a seven-month siege in 1431. The capital was moved to Phnom Penh in 1866. The temple ruins were visited by Western explorers and missionaries before the 19th century, but Henri Mouhot is generally seen as having "discovered" Angkor Wat in 1860.

While under Siamese control, the province was named Siam Nakhon (Siamese City), and was renamed to Siem Reap (meaning Siam defeated) after Siam had to cede it to French Indochina in 1906.

Massage And Spa in Siem Reap

Shopping in Siem Reap

Where To Stay in Siem Reap

Medical Care in Siem Reap

Communication in Siem Reap

Siem ReapTravel Information

Priority Temples to visit in Angkor Complex

Recommended apart from Must see Angkor temples

Tonle Sap lake: The Great Lake

Suggested Itineraries for Visiting Angkor Temples

Siem Reap travel guide

Siem Reap Overview

• Siem Reap travel guide
• Phnom Penh travel guide
• Sihanoukville travel guide
• Battambang travel guide

• Poi Pet travel guide
• Kampot - Kep travel guide
• Mondulkiri travel guide
• Preah Vihear travel guide

• Kampong Thom travel guide
• Ratanakiri travel guide
• Anlong Veaeng travel guide
• Kohkong travel guide

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